According to Blackmagic Design, a number of Blackmagic Design products, including Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2 and ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K, were used to stream the school’s entrance ceremony at Toho Gakuen Trade School, which trains talent in the entertainment industry. On the day of the entrance ceremony, the school mentioned that members selected from the students of the school operated as part of the learning.
Toho Gakuen College is one of the educational corporation Toho Gakuen Group where students aiming for the entertainment industry such as video, sound, and entertainment gather. In addition to the school, which mainly learns about program production such as TV and radio, Toho Gakuen Film College, which trains creators such as movies, animation, music videos, etc., Toho Gakuen Acoustic College, where you can learn about music and acoustics, actors There is Tokyo Announcement Gakuin, a vocational school where students who aim to become performers such as , voice actors and dancers gather, and since its establishment in 1972, it has produced many professional human resources in the entertainment industry.
The school updated its old equipment with URSA Broadcast G2, ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K switcher, Smart Videohub CleanSwitch 12×12 router, ATEM Camera Control Panel, SmartView 4K and Smart Scope Duo 4K monitors, and Mini Converter. These equipment will be used in various classes such as program production practice jointly conducted by multiple departments at the school’s TV studio.
Mr. Takashi Sugimoto of the school’s educational affairs and education department commented as follows.
Mr. Sugimoto: This time, when we updated the equipment, the switcher we had been using was not equipped with a multi-viewer function, so we had to put out as many small monitors as there were cameras. There were other functional deficiencies as well, and I felt the need to introduce something more up-to-date.
We were considering purchasing 4K compatible broadcasting equipment from another company, but it would be very expensive. So when I researched Blackmagic Design’s products, the cost was reduced by nearly half compared to other companies’ products. In addition, functionality and quality were sufficient.
The first time these products were used after their introduction was at the entrance ceremony of the school. URSA Broadcast G2 was used for 3 of the 5 cameras on the day. Each camera was fitted with a URSA Studio Viewfinder G2 and their feeds were sent via Fiber Converter to Videohub and ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K. The switched images were projected onto the large screen in the center of the stage. SmartView 4K and SmartScope Duo 4K were used for video confirmation, and Video Assist 4K was used for recording. At this ceremony, selected students from the same school were in charge of operations such as shooting and switching.
Mr. Sugimoto: Regarding the selection of the camera, it should be possible to use the highly versatile B4 lens in the practical class, connect with an optical cable, and adjust the iris remotely. I chose the URSA Broadcast G2 because it’s cheap. Smart Videohub CleanSwitch can be switched seamlessly, so it can be used not only as a router, but also as a backup switch in case there is a problem with the switcher, so you can teach your students how to deal with such emergencies.
The equipment was delivered several days before the entrance ceremony. Mr. Sugimoto and his students quickly learned how to use equipment that they had never touched before.
Mr. Sugimoto: While the preparation period was short, the students were also working hard to study and practice the equipment in preparation for the actual performance. The actual event was mostly just the students, and everything from setting up to operation and dismantling was carried out, but we were able to finish the ceremony without any major troubles, which I think gave the students a lot of confidence. I would like to continue using these Blackmagic products in various classes in the future.
